


The One Who Plays Cinderella

by edotschuy



Category: Big Hero 6
Genre: Big Hero 6 Fanfic, F/M, Romance, Short Story, Tadashi Lives, he's alive
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-15
Updated: 2015-05-18
Packaged: 2018-03-30 16:17:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3943360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/edotschuy/pseuds/edotschuy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The new San Fransokyo Association for the Arts just reopened by SFIT. The nerd herd are given free tickets to see SFAA's first musical performance since they moved, and Tadashi Hamada feels drawn to the girl who plays Cinderella. Along the road in this story, bits, blueprints, and parts of their inventions start to go missing. Does Tadashi's new crush have anything to do with it? Or is it something more sinister than any of them could have imagined?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. SFAA

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Those still hurting from the loss of a boy named Tadashi.](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Those+still+hurting+from+the+loss+of+a+boy+named+Tadashi.).



> This is a Tadashi x Reader story. Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6. All characters seen from the movie are owned by Disney and Marvel, and new characters that I made up are owned by me. You own you, of course.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The nerd herd get tickets to watch SFAA's adaptation of Into The Woods.

_This part of the story happens before the events in the movie._

**TADASHI**

"What do you think he wants?" Gogo asked no one in particular as the nerd herd was heading towards Callaghan's office.

Tadashi shrugged. "I have no clue. But I don't think we have anything to worry about. We haven't done anything wrong."

Honey Lemon clasped her hands together and pursed her lips. "Oh, I hope so... Well, maybe I'm overreacting a bit." She laughed nervously as she adjusted her glasses. "I mean, it's not like we're gonna get kicked out... right?"

Wasabi shook his head. "No! Of course not! If you think about it, the only one who's gonna be the reason we get kicked out someday is..." As if they practiced it, all their heads turned towards the comic book geek, who was a few steps ahead of them.

Fred was dancing and singing ahead of them as they go on their way to Callaghan's office. What was he singing? ... His own version of the Powerpuff Girls' theme song.

" _'Dashi, commander and the leader,_

_Honey, she is the joy and the laughter,_

_Gogogo! She is the toughest fighter,_

_PowerFreds save the day!'_ "

Wasabi sighed and rolled his eyes. "I don't even know if I should be offended I'm not in his little theme song."

Honey Lemon also looked at Fred weird. "Just Honey? I think you forgot a bit there, Fred."

Fred stopped singing and turned back to look at her. "No no, you see, if I sing 'Honey Lemon' for that line, it'll be too long. So I cut it like Tadashi's. It's only _'Dashi'_ and _'Honey'_ when it comes to the song. My brilliant brain came up with that." He turned back and hummed the rest of the song after explaining.

"Let me guess, since _'Buttercup'_   has three syllables you added another 'go' to my name? Did your _brilliant brain_ ," She said sarcastically, "-come up with that too?"

Fred looked at her and grinned. "Yeah! It did! It's great to see that you're finally seeing the potential of my brain, Gogo!"

"No problem." Gogo replied, again with sarcasm.

Soon enough after that, they finally reached Callaghan's office.

"Ah! You kids, come in and take a seat." He greeted the group as they entered.

His office was in the highest floor of the institute. It not only had a view of the campus, but it also had one of the best views of the city. He sat behind his desk and the nerd herd sat on the couch facing him.

"Is there something wrong, professor?" Tadashi asked.

Callaghan laughed. "Did I worry you kids when I had you come up here? I'm sorry for that. But no, everything's fine. No one's getting kicked out."

Everyone's tense shoulders collapsed as they all sighed in relief. Well, except for Fred, of course. He was too busy sticking his nose up the window, gawking at the view.

"Then why are we here, professor?" Wasabi asked.

The older man nodded and stood up from his seat. "Right. Let's get to that." He walked to the window and pointed at a building not too far-but not too near, either-from the institute. It had only been there since a few weeks ago, so only a few students knew what it was.

"Do you kids know what that new building is?" He asked them.

"Is SFIT expanding?" Honey Lemon asked.

"No, dear." Callaghan shook his head. "That," He pointed outside, "-is the new SFAA building."

"SFAA?" Gogo asked. "I thought that the SFAA building was at the edge of San Fransokyo. You know, the famous 'college by the beach'? What's it doing here?"

"You are correct." Callaghan confirmed with a nod. "But that was then. The distance has proven to be an inconvenience for the students and staff there. Especially if they're going home for the holidays. And with all the typhoon warnings they're getting- since they're by the beach -they decided to relocate." He added.

Before he could continue, Tadashi asked. "What's SFAA?"

"Super Fred Amazing Awesome?" Fred guessed.

Callaghan chuckled and answered, "San Fransokyo Association for the Arts." He reached to his desk and pulled out a flyer. It was for a musical theater production.

"Into The Woods?" The gang read aloud as they looked at the poster.

"Please don't tell me we're going to perform or something." Wasabi begged.

"Relax, my students. You are merely going to watch the play." Callaghan announced.

"Why? What for?" Tadashi asked.

"Well, the four of you are my top students, and Fred represents the institute- being the mascot and all. Each of the colleges are required to send five representatives to watch the first full-length musical production of the finest students of SFAA. Us- the technology college, the agricultural and the medical colleges, you name it. Every. Single. One. Of course, this will be free of charge, and you will state your opinion of the performance after when they conduct a survey. That alone will be the payment."

Tadashi was supposed to speak up, to say that he'd rather give his ticket to Aunt Cass, knowing that she'd enjoy it more, but the professor cut him off.

"To those chosen, you will be excused for all the activities you will be doing that day and will have the whole day off after the play. See it as a gift for all the hard work you've all been doing for us."

Callaghan handed all of them a ticket and joked when they were getting up to leave his office, "If I see you kids here in your labs on the day of the play, I'll drag you there myself."

_And this is where everything started to change._


	2. I Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You get ready for the last practice for the musical. Before that, you have a chat with your best friend and you end up promising you'll find someone 'date-worthy'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! The author here! I just want to make it clear, before you read this, that this is a reader insert. If you've read one before, then go ahead and skip this. 
> 
> But if not, I want to explain this to you. 
> 
> If you read (Your/Name) you insert your name there. No, you don't have to type it or anything, it's just that when you read that, it means or symbolizes your name. Because, we don't have the same name. Same goes for (favorite/flower) it could be: Rose, Lily, etc.; (eye/color) blue, brown, green, etc.; (hair/color) brunette, blonde, black, red, yellow, etc. 
> 
> you get it.
> 
> On another note, comments and suggestions are much appreciated and taken into consideration! Even if you have an idea for another little story- share it, and I'll see what I can do! :D
> 
> Love y'all! (o-o) 

**READER**

It's the day of the show. And tonight, in a few hours, you'll be performing. Everyone was doing one last run through and sound checks. And the actors were requested to step into their costumes for one more rehearsal.

_If you have long hair, read this. If not, read the next paragraph and skip this one._ You were fixing your (hair/color) hair which was in a perfect bun; also making sure that the headpiece (that was a prized possession and a family treasure) stayed in place. It was a (favorite/flower). But it outshines anything else because every centimeter of it was covered by true diamonds and priceless gems. 

_If you have short hair, read this. If not, ignore this paragraph and read the previous one._ After combing through your short (hair/color) hair for the thousandth time, you finally felt like it was time to put the priceless headband on. It had little details that you could stare at for hours and priceless gems that would make any theif drool. Another thing you loved about it was the little (favorite/flower)s that were embedded to the side.

Your mother was in theater. So was your grandmother. And even your great-grandmother, who was the first to wear it. All of them wore it for the first time in their first major theater performance. And now, it was your turn. You were honored beyond anything. You always saw this priceless accessory when you were a little girl. It was always locked up in a glass case. But now, you were wearing it.

But of course, it was somewhat heavy being covered with gems and all. And that made it slightly more difficult to perform. Though you were only wearing it for a few songs. When you were ballgown Cinderella. Most scenes require you all maid Cinderella, where you were dressed in a dress of rags.

"(Your/Name)!!! My darling Cinderella!" You heard one of your costars yell out to you. She also happened to be your best friend and roommate.

"(Bestie's/Name), do you have to yell so loud?" You asked her as she approached you for a hug.

Pulling away from the embrace, you got a look at her costume. She was playing Rapunzel. She wore a wig that looked and felt so real. And her dress was gorgeous too. Though unlike you, who were wearing golden shoes, she was barefoot. 

"Oh, I can't help it! You look amazing, (Your/Name)!" She said as she was looking at your outfit as well.

_(for reference on their outfits, I recommend watching this to know what the costumes look like: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xyrnFRghCv4)_

"Too bad we don't have any scenes together, though." She pouted.

"Yeah." You agreed. It would've been wonderful to share the stage with her. Well, technically you _are_ sharing the stage... Just, not the same scene. Not _once_. 

"But you know who _will_ be together in a scene?" She asked you with a cheeky grin.

"Who?"

"Duke and Roi!" She squealed in delight.

You however, couldn't help but roll your eyes. Duke and Roi were playing the roles of the two handsome princes who were brothers. Coincidentally, they were brothers in real life, too. Flesh and blood. Duke would play the prince who will fall for Rapunzel (your best friend), and Roi will fall for Cinderella. (*ahem* you.)

But _sure_ , they were handsome. _Sure_ , they were wealthy. _Sure_ , they were great actors. (Some people said that the reason they got their roles was because they paid people from the production. But SFAA cares too much for this play to let two bimbos get one of the most leading roles, and you've seen them perform live, so you know that their talent got them here.)

Anyway, they are handsome.

They are wealthy.

They are talented.

...

What more could a girl ask for?

Well, for starters, a decent personality. Preferably one who cares and is kind. Not the egotistical, obnoxious kind.

Just... _Not_ Duke and Roi.

"I really don't get why you turned Roi down." (Bestie's/Name) said as she checked her makeup and hair in the mirror. "He's been asking you out _so many times_ ever since SFAA moved to this side of San Fransokyo."

You laughed and nodded. "Yeah, I know. And I've turned him down _so many times_ I've lost count." You say, mocking her slightly.

She rolled her eyes at you and playfully threw a makeup brush at you, purposefully missing though. You both laughed.

"Whatever. I honestly don't care if you don't date him... But I'm just worried you might not date anyone at all!" She exclaimed, looking at you worriedly.

You laughed. "Oh please, don't make me throw a brush at you too!"

The edges of her lips raised slightly, but they dropped to a serious look. "I'm serious." She walked over to you and held your hands tightly. "I don't want my best friend to go though the exciting chapter in life, also known as college, without even a _little_ bit of romance!"

You looked at her and smiled. It's moments like this you're thankful you have someone like her by your side.

Then, after a few seconds of silence, you said, "Okay."

She furrowed her eyebrows at you. "Okay what?"

"Okay, I'm going to look for someone. I'll keep an eye out for someone that'll be deemed date-worthy." Then you shrugged, still brightly smiling. "Maybe I'll find someone at the show tonight." You winked a/an (eye/color) at her, giving her hands a reassuring squeeze.

She grinned back at you and jumped to give you another hug. "Oh, thank _goodness_! You have no idea how long I've been waiting for you to say that!"

Then you heard the voice of the assistant director boom through the loudspeakers located around the theater. 

"All actors in their proper costumes, please proceed to the main area by the stage where you can be easily seen by our staff. Our last rehearsal will begin in ten minutes."

You held out your arm to her. "Shall we?" You asked.

She linked your arms together and nodded, grinning. "We shall."

Then you two skipped out of the dressing room and out to the real world with the other actors.

Your mind trailed back to the promise you made (Bestie's/Name). 

You thought to yourself,

_I have a feeling, that I'll meet him... Tonight._


	3. Cinderella

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tadashi ends up walking to SFAA since Aunt Cass' truck won't work and Wasabi and the others are stuck in traffic, so he can't ride with them. He gets a tour from a guy named River, and sees a dancing sculpture. When he asks about who made it, River says that it's made by someone from SFIT and the one who plays Cinderella.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> REMINDER: Tadashi doesn't have his moped (the adorable motorcycle thingy) yet at this part of the story.
> 
> I'm really proud of this one :) it has almost 2,000 words :D please enjoy and feel free to comment and/or suggest stuff! It will be highly appreciated to get a reaction from someone who's reading this.

**TADASHI**

"Come _on_!" Tadashi exclaimed as he tried to start Aunt Cass' old pickup truck.

Keyword: _tried_

' _This is bad_ ', he thought. ' _Seriously? This truck gives up on me the day of the play?_ '

Reaching into his pocket for his phone, he dialed up Wasabi. 

_'Hey, man.'_ The neat-freak answered.

"Wasabi!" Tadashi greeted, grinning even though no one could see it. "You see uh, is that offer about you driving by and picking me up still standing?" He asked, crossing his fingers and hoping he'd say yes. Wasabi offered Tadashi a ride to the play yesterday, but Tadashi didn't want to cramp up the small car more than it already was going to be (since all of the others are going to ride in it) so he said no. He figured he could just take Aunt Cass' car and promised himself that he won't regret turning down Wasabi's offer.

Boy, was he so wrong.

Wasabi let out an exasperated sigh, _'I told you so, man. I'd do a u-turn and come back for you but we're stuck in traffic right now. You might even get there before us if you just walk.'_

Tadashi groaned and threw his head back. He sank into the driver's seat of the old car. He couldn't believe this. This has happened countless times before and every time he would tell himself that he'd fix that damned thing. But he never did. 

Tadashi sighed. "Okay, thanks anyway, Wasabi. I'll just walk. Tell the others I said hi."

 _'Will do.'_ Wasabi said before hanging up.

Stepping out of the car, Tadashi took a good, long look at it. It was rusted in most parts, and the tires needed changing. Those were only _two_ things among the _many_ that needed fixing. 

He wanted to kick himself. He was working on a marshmallow nurse bot but he couldn't find the time to fix a _car_.

He set the keys on one of the desks in the garage and just walked out. Thank goodness it was still a little early, he'd still make it in time if he walked. He figured he needed the exercise anyway.

On the way there, he looked over at the roads and the endless streets. It looked like the cars weren't even moving. For a moment, he was thankful that old truck didn't work. He reached into the inside chest pocket of his casual suit jacket and pulled out his ticket for the play. _'Into The Woods'_ it says in bright gold. There were pictures of the main characters behind it as well. He's read the story once or twice before, so it's safe to say the he's familiar with the story. He could see Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack (from Jack and the Beanstalk), the baker and his wife, the wicked witch, the two princes, and Cinderella.

He has to admit, he thought that the one who plays Cinderella was stunning. The ticket was back to back and with two kinds of pictures on each side. The only difference is that the characters' appearance change. Like, on one side of the ticket, Cinderella was wearing an old, worn-out dress. On the other, she was wearing a beautiful gown the color of gold.

As he put the ticket back into his pocket, he realized that he was almost there. Just another street to cross and he'd be entering the campus grounds. Callaghan told them that they could just walk straight into the SFAA building and show their ticket. He said that someone would guide them to the theater.

It felt weird to Tadashi. Walking on campus grounds but not going to the SFIT building- or as hero calls it, _'Nerd School'_. Instead of what he was used to, he walked passed SFIT and to the building a few streets away. SFAA. Chuckling to himself, Tadashi wonders what Hiro would call SFAA. _'Artsy School'?_ He joked to himself.

Tadashi somehow loses his ability to breathe once he gets closer to SFAA. It looked like an ordinary building from afar but once he got closer he could see the details in it's architecture. Intricate designs and tiny details cover the pillars holding the building up; Those must've taken _years_ to make. The large double doors are made of carved wood and it also had amazing designs to it. Unlike the sleek, glass and metal doors of the SFIT building, this door has a certain classic and elegant look to it. And it was breathtaking.

Thankfully the ginormous double doors were open so he didn't have to stand there awkwardly and wonder if he should open them or not. He walked in, and was slightly overwhelmed by how luxurious it looked on the inside. It was like the lobby of a hotel! The floors were made of marble and hanging on the walls were different kinds of paintings made by the students.

A boy who was looking at one of the paintings turned and saw him. He smiled and walked over to Tadashi.

"Hi. I'm River." He introduced himself and held out a hand for Tadashi to shake.

"Tadashi." He replied as she shook his hand.

"So..." River said as he looked at Tadashi weird. "Are you new or something?" He asked.

Tadashi gave out an awkward laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. "No, I actually go to SFIT. I'm here for the play." He explained, showing River his ticket.

"Oh! No problem! I could show you to the theater, if you want." River offered.

Tadashi couldn't help but let the relief show in his face. He nodded. "Yeah, thank you. That'd be great."

"C'mon, then! I'll give you a tour while we're at it! The theater is at the edge of the building, after all."

"Sounds good to me." 

River pointed and explained to Tadashi what and where the rooms were.

"That one," he pointed at a door to their left, "-leads out to the paintball field."

"Paintball field?"

"Yeah. It's this huge field where we play paintball. But there's a twist to our version."

"What's the twist?"

"There are two teams, each team consists of ten members. Each member's paint color in their gun is different from the other. Those are rules. Like, seven of the ten need to use the ROYGBIV colors, and another two needs to have black and white in their guns. The last, the tenth, member gets to use any color the team chooses, but it can't be one of the ROYGBIV colors or black or white."

River heads towards the door and gestures for Tadashi to follow. They see a team practicing the game. A few people are watching them at the stands, too.

"Each team has an assigned side of the field. And on each side of the field is a huge white blank canvas. Here's the main task of the game: Team 1 needs to paint something on the canvas on Team 2's side of the field. Same goes for Team 2, they need to paint something on the canvas on Team 1's side. _But_ the members of your team can't just run to the canvas and paint something with your guns, you need to leave some members of your team behind to guard the canvas from the enemy team, so that they won't be able to paint anything."

"So... It's like capture the flag, but with a canvas instead of a flag?"

"Kinda, in a way. Yeah."

"But don't you get kicked out of the game if you get shot?"

"You do. If you get hit 20 times. The team leader doesn't get kicked out of the game until 30 shots, though. "

"Sounds like an awesome game."

"Oh, trust me. It is."

"How do you win?"

"If you kick out all the members of the opposite team. Or if the game exceededs the time limit and it's a draw, the team with the better painting wins. Oh, and fun fact: to avoid cheating, sensors and stuff are imbedded in the suits the players wear. Care to guess who made those sensors?"

Tadashi grinned proudly. "SFIT?"

"Bingo."

River showed a lot more cool stuff like that. Tadashi just thought it'd just be a bunch of students drawing and painting. It was so much more than that. Art was more interesting and fun than he first thought. He was blown away when they passed by the students practicing a dance routine. It was awesome.

"We just have to go through this main room and another hallway, after that, we'll be at the theater." River said as they approached a pair of wooden doors. These were bigger than the ones they've passed by and went through.

"Why is it called the main room?" Tadashi asked as River pushed open the doors. And his breath was taken away for the hundredth time today.

It reminded him of the huge lab space at SFIT. Where each student had an area to work on their inventions in. Like, when Gogo was here and Honey Lemon was just on the other side.

Only, instead of inventions, these students were working on art. And all of it were beautiful.

"Woah..." Tadashi gasped with wide eyes. "Is that sculpture moving?"

He thought he was just seeing things, but he rubbed his eyes and saw the the sculpture was, indeed, _moving_. It was a sculpture of two people waltzing. And they had _expressions_ on their faces! They were smiling and blinking at each other. Tadashi could even see their chests moving up and down, as if they were breathing! He would've thought that they were real people if it wasn't for the fact that they weren't colored. From head to toe, their color was beige. Like clay.

River laughed. That's actually one of what we like to call a 'crossover' piece." 

"Crossover piece?"

"Yeah. Art alone can't make movement like that unless it's a type of performing art, like dancing. So one of the most famous students here and another at SFIT collaborated and made this. The SFIT student made the dancing robo-skeleton and the one from here used that as the base for the sculpture."

Tadashi understood and gave out an 'ahhh...' "So that's why it's a crossover piece? Because it was worked on by someone from another institute and someone from here?"

"Yep." Rover said, popping the 'p'.

"Wow." Tadashi said as he kept staring at the dancing couple. Heck! Even their clothes looked real, the girl's dress was flowing around as she twirled. It reminded him of that little twirling ballerina in Aunt Cass' jewelry box. Only, this was a couple waltzing and they were life sized.

"Art is so cool."

River wore a proud grin. "Yeah, it really is. But it's even more awesome with technology, though."

Tadashi laughed. "I couldn't agree more."

"Now, come on," River said as he started walking again. "You might want to head over there now before the hallway gets too crowded."

"Yeah. Let's go."

They went out of the main room and ended up in another hallway on the other side. According the River, they should be there soon.

"Hey," Tadashi started as he finally caught sight of the big, black doors that were labeled 'THEATER'. "Do you know who made that dancing sculpture?"

River laughed. "You still can't let it go?"

Tadashi raised his hands defensively. "I'm just curious."

"Anyway, I do, actually. She's a good friend of mine. You'll actually see her perform at the play."

"Really? Who is she?" Tadashi pressed on.

River answered as he opened the doors and led him in, "The one who plays Cinderella."

And just like that, Tadashi's interest in this girl increases so much, _much_ more.


	4. On The Steps of the Palace

**READER**

You ran down the steps of the palace, holding the front of your dress up slightly like a real princess so that you won't trip over the skirt. You were being chased by the prince and it was the last night of the festival. You had to run from him so many times, and the director said that you had to look over your shoulder every now and then, and you were supposed to be breathing heavily.

Well, with around- like, _five_ scenes in which all you were doing is running from the prince, it wasn't hard to pretend you were tired.

Because you really were. No acting needed to fake it.

And it was tricky because one of the scenes involved you, in two-inch high gold heels, running in a fake stage set that truly looked like the woods.

In short, dirt, little stones, big stones, leaves, branches, etc. The costume designers had prepared two more dresses identical to each other, just like the ball gown you were wearing right now, because... You were _bound_ to get a little dirt or rip on your dress here and there. And you still had to come back to the ball the night after- you couldn't really go to the ball in a ripped and dirty dress.

Then here comes the part where you get stuck in some black goo on the steps of the palace. You act your heart out, and furrow your eyebrows at this sticky situation. Suddenly, everything stops and freezes and slows down, except you. The music from the live orchestra slows down from being a fast-paced chase music theme, to the song you have been practicing for weeks.

You look back at the prince, who was frozen in time, and let out a sigh.

Then, you sing. _(if you want to hear the song, here's a link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dohMKHZR-FI)_

_"He's a very smart prince,_

_He's a prince who prepares._

_Knowing this time I'd run from him,_

_He spread pitch on the stairs._

_And I'm caught unawares._

_Well it means that..."_ You pause, then within a second you relax you tense shoulders and put on a smile. _"-he cares."_

You take a deep breath, and sing the next lines as you step away from the goo.

_"This is more than just malice,_

_Better stop and take stock_

_While you're standing here stuck_

_On the steps of the palace."_

You act like you're talking to yourself as you sing the next part.

_"All right, what do you want?_

_Have to make a decision._

_Why not stay and be caught?_

_Should I give that a thought,_

_What would be his response?"_

You look back at the still-frozen prince and bite your lip and act nervously.

_"But then what if he knew_

_Who I am when I know_

_That I'm not what he thinks_

_That he wants?_

_Or, then, what if I am?_

_What a Prince would envision?_

_But then how can you know_

_Who you are till you know_

_What you want, which I don't?_

_So then which do you pick:_

_Where you're safe, out of sight,_

_And yourself, but where everything's wrong?_

_Or where everything's right_

_But you know that you'll never belong?"_ You sing these lines as you look longingly towards the castle and the prince.

Then you act like you're upset with yourself and sing the next lines with annoyance. _"And whichever you pick,_

_Do it quick,_

_'Cause you're starting to stick_

_To the steps of the palace."_

You sing the rest of the song the way you practiced it. As if you were Cinderella herself. Put yourself in her shoes. (pun intended) Then here comes your personal favorite part, where Cinderella thinks of the idea of leaving her shoe.

As you sing the next line you look away from the prince and the palace. _"Better run along home,_

_And avoid the collision._

_Though at home they don't care,_

_I'll be better off there_

_Where there's nothing to choose,_

_So there's nothing to lose._

_So I'll pry up my shoes..."_ You start to pick up your shoes from the goo when you act like you got an idea.

You grin as you think your idea is genius. _"Wait, though, thinking it through,_

_Things don't have to collide,_

_I know what my decision is:_

_Which is not to decide._

_I'll just leave him a clue:_

_For example..."_ You pause, eyes scanning around you before pausing at the shoe in your hand. _"-a shoe."_

_"-And then see what he'll do._

_Now it's he and not you_

_Who'll be stuck with a shoe,_

_In a stew, in the goo,_

_And I've learned something, too,_

_Something I never knew,_

_On the steps of the palace!"_

You sing that impossibly high note at the end. Then you run down the steps of the palace again as everything that was frozen comes back into motion. And as the lights turn off and everything goes black, the scene ends with you running away from the palace with only one shoe.

You grin as you hear people applauding and cheering from that song. Not long after, the next scene begins and you are allowed to take a break. After making sure your mic is off, which was pinned to your dress, you immediately thank all the staff backstage as they congratulate you on that number.

You say graciously, "Thank you everyone! But the show isn't finished yet, so let's all do our best!"

You watch the next scenes on a television the crew had set up backstage. Cameras positioned all over the theater show the live feed of the performance, and they're recording it too. This serves for two purposes: First, they have this so that they can check on the stage without having to go out there and to disturb the crowd. Second, the director said that if the show is a success and gets enough good reviews, they'll make the performance available in DVD and sell it in the SFAA souvenir shop. It'll also set an example for current and future students.

Time flies by faster than you wanted it to, because soon enough you're going on stage again. This time, in a white wedding dress with your arm wrapped around Roi's arm.

He shot you a flirtatious smile. He's good looking, all right. But he smiles at every girl that way.

"Are you ready, my bride?" He asks you.

"As soon as this is over, we're getting divorced." You growl at him.

The big prop oak doors you were standing behind opened. And outside, you saw the loyal subjects of the kingdom and friends applauding. This scene was you and Roi walking out of the chapel as newly weds.

Despite having Roi as a husband, this was one of your favorite scenes. Mainly because of the dress you were wearing. It was classic, with an edge to it. It was so beautiful... You love it so much. The bouquet you were holding also had your favorite flowers, and the props team said that you could keep the flowers. -they were fake, by the way. So they could always make a replica. You also asked if you could keep the dress, but the head of costume design laughed and said, "Don't push your luck."

The tricky part in this scene was when the first signs for the giant show. Everyone has to shake as if there was an earthquake in perfect timing. The effects guy couldn't find a way to shake the stage, so this was what had to be done.

The rest of the performance flew by without a hitch, and it was time for the end credits. Everyone steps out to the stage as their name is called out and who they were portraying. You, being one of the main characters, were one of the first ones to step out.

Everyone was on their feet, smiling and applauding. All of the stress, the practice, the all-nighters of rehearsals... They all finally paid off. Especially since you got a reaction like this. It felt so wonderful.

You smile wider once you see your mother in the audience. And then at the next second, a rose is thrown and it lands at your feet.

You pick it up and scan the crowd to find whoever threw you the rose, and instantly, your eyes find a guy at the fifth row. You would've thought he'd look funny, since he was wearing a suit jacket with casual pants and a San Fransokyo Ninjas baseball cap, but he made it work.

And damn, he was cute.

But sadly, you don't know who he is. Not even what college he goes to. But then you think, ' _If anyone can find out who this guy is, it's River. Heck, he probably already knows him somehow._ ' River is this super social guy you know. So you make a mental note to find him after the show.

Somehow, you knew that the rose you were holding was from this guy you were smiling at. And you mouth a 'thank you' to him.

With one last bow from everyone on stage, the lights dim to dark and the curtain closes. And once the audience could no longer see the stage, you immediately reach for (Bestie's/Name) and embrace her in a tight hug- no longer caring if your costumes get wrinkled.

"You were amazing!" She squealed, jumping up and down.

"You were too." You smiled as you let her go.

After a few more 'thank you's and 'goodbye's, you finally changed out of your costume and into your signature outfit. It mainly consisted of your favorite colors, so you always wore it. And, when you're working on your art, an apron to avoid stains.

You walked out of backstage and by the area where the seats were. You were heading towards the exit. Hopefully, on the way, you'd find River.

And soon later, your mind trails back to the guy you got the rose from. You keep a mental note not to keep your hopes up too high, because a guy like that probably has a girlfriend already. But if he doesn't, maybe you could let yourself fall deeper into this hole you're starting to dig for yourself. You could even invite him to the show's after party at the roof of the SFAA building.

( _If you like parties, read this paragraph. If not skip this and read the next one._ ) You could use a good party for all your hard work. Everyone's been talking about the roof party ever since it was announced, you were looking forward to it too. And just thinking that baseball cap guy could join you makes your heart flutter. You bite your lip and smile at the rose you're holding.

( _If you don't like parties, read this paragraph. If you do, go back to the last one._ ) But in all honesty, parties weren't your thing. They were River's thing. Man, it's his _territory_. All you ever did was make small chat and stay in one or two spots- the places that weren't too crowded. You didn't mind not going, you'd rather find the guy who gave you the rose you were holding.

Then, probably because you weren't looking, you hit something and nearly stumble down.

You feel whoever you hit almost stumble too and notice that something's on your head and covering your eyes.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! Are you alright, Miss?" The guy asks in a panicky tone.

You remove whatever was blocking your eyesight to see it was a SFN baseball cap... Like the one the guy earlier was wearing.

You slowly look up, and see that it's him.

 _'Huh.'_ You thought to yourself, _'-that was easier than expected... He's easier to find than River, that's for sure.'_

"You're the one who played Cinderella!"

"You're the one who gave me this rose."

"I'm glad you got it."

"I'm glad you threw it. It's the first time I've ever gotten one."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"Then I'll make sure to give you another one sometime."

You laugh. "You don't have to."

"But I want to."

"Okay then, if it's not trouble."

He shakes his head. "No, not at all."

You reach up and put the cap you were holding back on his head.

"It fits you better than it fit me." You say. "It went over my eyes."

"You still looked cute though."

You blush. "Thank you."

He hold out his hand for you to shake. "I'm Tadashi Hamada."

You take his hand. "(Your/Name) (Last/Name)."

"Did you come to the show with anyone?" You ask.

He pointed to a group of teenagers filling out some review sheets. It was for the show. It was like they were grading your performance.

"Oh! So you're one of the students from the other institutes!"

"Yeah! Would you like to see my review of the show?"

"Oh, no! I couldn't. It's rules, cast and staff who helped aren't allowed to see reviews until the official announcement."

"Well, in a nutshell, you were amazing."

"Thank you, Tadashi."

"You're welcome."

"So... Where are you and your friends from?"

"SFIT."

"Ahhh... So I'm talking to a genius, huh?"

He laughed. "I like to think so."

"I'll take your word for it."

"Would you like to meet the other geniuses I brought with me here?"

"Sure, I'd like that. I don't really know anyone outside of SFAA."

"C'mon then." He said, leading you to his friends.

And on your way, your phone rings.

Speaking of friends...

**You have 1 New Message from: (Bestie's/Name)xoxo**

_'Hey, where are you? I don't see you anywhere here on the roof.'_

Instead of giving her a straight answer, you say,

_'I got caught up with something.'_

Then you look at Tadashi at the corner of your eye. He really seems like a good guy.

You send her another text.

_'I think I met someone I might like.'_

This is the start of something new.


End file.
